Expression-indicator for musical instruments.



L. B. WING.

EXPRESSION INDICATOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 19l6. 1,238,864.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEETI lllllll ll.

8 vwevvfoz IIIHIIII 3 11/14 $13 attozmIz-fa In I L. BL-WING.

EXPRESSION INDICATOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. l1. I916- V Patented Sept. 4, 191?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ill/1 71% Iii] a mum whiz m n??- 414;!-

LUMAN IB. WING, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

EXPRESSION-INDICATOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

Application filed November 11, 1916. Serial No. 130,689.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUMAN B. WING, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, in the cityand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Expression-Indicators for Musical Instruments, of which the followlngis a specification, reference being made to the accompanying drawings,forming a part' thereof.

My invention relates in its preferred embodiment to automatic musicalinstruments of that class in which a perforated musicsheet is employedas a controlling medium, and more particularly relates to means forregulating or governing the expression, whereby a very accurate degreeof lntens ty of tone, ranging from pianissimo to fortissimo, may beproduced with controlling mechanisms which shallindicate to theopera-tor with what expression the particular parts of the musicalcomposition is being played.

The objects of my invention, among other things, are to provide asimplified expression-indicator, controlled by the exhaust bellows, sothat an operator can, at wlll, by operating the pedals more or less forcbly produce greater air tension in the windchambers, and one which willnot confuse the operator; to arrange the indicator at the point on thetraveling music-sheet at which the playing is actually taking place,thereby dispensing with the need for accurate calculation and expertnessof the operator; to locate the indicator in the direct line of vision asthe music-sheet progresses over the tracker; and to secure a simple, yetaccurate, construction which will enable the indicator to follow closelythe expression line upon thetraveling perforated musicsheet, themovement of which shall be con trolled'by the varying amount of airtension in the exhaust bellows.

,In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic frontelevation of a portion of an automatic musical instrument with which myimproved expression-indicator may be equipped; Fig. 2 is a view similarto Fig. 1, illustrating a modified form of expression-indicator; Fig. 3is an enlarged plan view, partly in section, the section being taken onthe line 33 shown in 1; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the indicatorlooking from the left in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, thesection being taken on the line 55 shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a detailfront View of a part of the indicator attachment; and Fig. 7 is a detailsectional view, the section being taken on the line 77 shown in Fig. 5.Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, 8 indicates the body of the musical instrumentwithin which is the box 9, which has the usual tracker 10, provided withthe apertures 11. 12 and 13 are the two music rolls, rotatably mountedin the box 9, upon which the perforated music-sheet 14 travels, the saidrolls being driven by any ordinary mechanism not shown. It will beunderstood that the music sheet 14 in its forward travel passes over thetracker 10, whereby the perforations of the sheet register with theapertures 11, as desired, so as to allow the air currents to operate themusical instrument, as is common. This mechanism is of well-knownconstruction and does not, of itself, constitute any part of myinvention.

Secured to the shelf 15 mounted in upper part of the box 9 is thebracket 16 upon which the indicator pointer 17 is pivoted at 18, the tip19 of the pointer 17 being arranged to register with the expression line20 on the sheet 14, as such line crosses the face of the tracker 10. Thepointer 17 swings laterally across the face of the tracker 10 to followthe expression-line 20.

21 is the pumping bellows, connected in any well-known way to the pedals22, to create an air tension in the main wind-chest 23, the operatingpneumatics (not shown) for actuating the musical instrument beingconnected with the wind-chest 23 by the pipe 24.

Attached to the shelf 15, substantially at right angles, is the fixedchannel board 25 on one side of which is secured the pneumatic 26,having its movable leaf 27 con nected to the pointer 17 by the link 28,as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The pneumatic 26 is hinged at 29 and on theleaf 27 is mounted the block 30, adjacent the hinge 29; the block 30carries the spring 31, the outer end of which is attached to the board25 by the screw 32. The spring 31 tends to hold the pneumatic 26expanded as shown in Fig. 3. To the opposite side of the board 25 isattached the pneumatic 33, having the movable leaf 34 hinged 2112.35;the leaf 34 carries the block 36 adjacent the hinge 35, and to the block36 is secured the spring 37, the outer end of which is attached to theboard 25 by the screw 38. The spring 37 is of lighter construction andof less tension than the spring 31, as shown in Fig. 3. The port 39connects the two. pneumatics 26 and 33, and the passage 40 cut in theupper part of the board 25 connects the pneumatic with the wind-chest 23by the tube 41, through the pipe 42 to which the tube 41 is attached, asshown in Figs. 4 and 5. The pipe 42 is provided with the bleed-hole 43of usual construction, as shown in 'Fig. 7. When the pumping bellows 21is operated to exhaust the air from the wind-chest 23, air is drawn infrom the pneumatics 26 and 33 through the tube 41 in the direction ofthe arrows shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

In the modified form of my invention, shown in Fig. 2, the twopneumatics 26 and 33 are mounted on the channel board 25, which isinclined from the perpendicular to suit the requirements of the width ofthe tracker 10. The leaf 27 has directly attached thereto the pointer 17and also carries the heavier coil-spring 44 secured to the post 45,mounted on the box 9. The leaf 34 of the pneumatic 33 carries the lightcoil-spring 46, secured to the post 47, mounted on the shelf 15. Theremaining parts of this modified form are constructed and operate in thesame manner as in the preferred embodiment and need not be againdescribed.

The mode of operation of my improved device is substantially as follows:The operator, by means of the pedals 22 and bellows 21, induces a vacuumin the wind-chest 23, approximately suited to the generalcharacteristics of the piece about to be played. WVhen the air isexhausted to greater or less tension within the wind-chest 23 thepneumatic 33 is caused to collapse in direct proportion to the airtension as against the lighter spring 35, through the tube 41 and thepipe 42, with its bleed-hole 43. Since the pneumatic 33 is connected byport 39 with the pneumatic 26, the operator will cause the indicator 17to coincide with the expression line 20 on the music sheet by a greaterdegree of muscular force exerted upon the pedals 22, so as to produce agreater air tension in the wind-chest 23, the movable leaf 27 of thepneumatic 26 being caused to collapse as against the tension of thespring 31. In operation, I have found that it is neces sary to have twopneumatics, as I have shown, to produce the proper operation of theindicating device, since the pneumatic 33 tends to equalize the pressurecaused by the increased tension given to the air in the wind-chest 23 bygreater force expanded by the operator on the pedals. The indicator tip19, pointing more-or less directly along the meet the tracker, willthenfollow the expression line 20 as the piece is being played, and it willbe noted that such indicator tip is arranged to swing laterallyacrossthe face of the tracker so that the osition of the pointer willshow exactly w at is being played at that instant, and not some thingwhich is to be played later.

In the modified form, the operation is substantially the same: Thepointer 17, with its tip 19, being directly aflixed to the movable leaf27, is swung laterally across the face of the tracker to follow theexpression line in direct proportion to the intensity of tone required.

It will be understood that the operator, by means of my invention, hasdirect control of the expression by means of the force expended inpedaling, whereby the tip 19 of the indicator follows the expressionline 20 as the traveling music sheet 14 passes over the tracker,'one ofthe principal features of my invention being the utilization of twopneumatics interiorly connected, the equalizing pneumatic beingconnected with the wind-chest, while the pneumatic connected with thepointer is only connected with the wind-chest through the medium of theequalizing pneumatic. In practice, the equalizing pneumatic 33 is verysensitive to variations in air pressure through pedaling, and flutterscontinually through the operation of the playing mechanism, whereas theoperating pneumatic 26, through the greater terrsion of the springattached thereto, stabil izes the movement of the indicator pointer sothat the operator may follow the expression line on the music sheet withgreat exactness.

Obviously various changes in the detail construction of my indicator maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention,suited to the requirements of different conditions or different types ofmusical instruments, in many ways that will obviously occur to thoseskilled in the art.

' I claim as my invention:

1. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaustbellows, of a traveling music-sheet, an indicator movable laterally withrespect to the sheet, and a plurality of coacting contractible meanseach under different spring tensions connected with said indicator andsaid bole lows whereby varying air tension in said bellows moves theindicator across the sheet 2. In an automatic musical instrument, thecombination with the exhaust bellows, of a. traveling music-sheet havingan expression line thereon, an indicator movable laterally with respectto the sheet to follow said expression line, and a plurality of coactingcontractible means each I under different spring tensions connected withsaid indiwhat and said bellows whereby varying air tension in saidbellows moves the indicator across the sheet.

3. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaustbellows, of a traveling music sheet, an indicator movable laterally withrespect to the sheet, a resiliently contractible pneumatic c0nnectedwith said indicator, a second resiliently contractible pneumaticcommunicating with said first pneumatic and said exhaust bellows,whereby varying air tension in said bellows moves the indicator acrossthe sheet.

at. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaustbellows, of a traveling music-sheet having an expression line thereon,an indicator movable latorally with respect to the sheet to follow saidexpression line, a resiliently contractible pneumatic connected withsaid indicator, a second resiliently contractible pneumaticcommunicating with said first pneumatic and said exhaust bellows,whereby varying air tension in said bellows moves the indicator acrossthe sheet.

5. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaustbellows, of a traveling music-sheet, an indicator movable laterally withrespect to the sheet, a resiliently contractible pneumatic connectedwith said indicator, a second resiliently contractible pneumatic, ofless spring tension than, and communicating with, said first pneumaticand said exhaust bellows, whereby varying air tension in said bellowsmoves the indicator across the sheet.

6. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaustbellows, of a traveling music-sheet having an ex pression line thereon,an indicator movable laterally with respect to the sheet to follow saidexpression line, a resiliently contractible pneumatic connected withsaid indicator, a second resiliently contractible pneumatic, of lessspring tension than, and communicating with, said first pneumatic andsaid exhaust bellows, whereby varying air tension in said bellows movesthe indicator across the sheet.

7. In an automatic musical instrument,

Copies the combination with the exhaust bellows, of a travelingmusic-sheet, an indicator movable laterally with respect to the sheet,an operating pneumatic for said indicator, a spring normally holdingsaid pneumatic in expanded position, an equalizing pneumaticcommunicating with said bellows,a spring normally holding saidequalizing pneumatic in expanded position, and means connecting the twopneumatics with each other.

8. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaustbellows, of a traveling music-sheet, an indicator movable laterally withrespect to the sheet, an operating pneumatic for said indicator, aspring normally holding said pneumatic in expanded position, anequalizing pneumatic communicating with said bellows, a spring of lesstension normally holding said equalizing pneumatic in expanded position,and means connecting the two pneumatics with each other.

9. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaustbellows, of a traveling music-sheet, an indicator movable laterally withrespect to the sheet, an operating pneumatic for said indicator, aspring normally holding said pneumatic in expanded position, anequalizing pneumatic communicating by a restricted passage with saidbellows, a spring normally holding said equalizing pneumatic in expandedposition, and means connecting the two pneumatics with each other.

10. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaustbellows, of a traveling musicsheet, an indicator movable laterally withrespect to the sheet, an operating pneumatic for said indicator, aspring normally holding said pneumatic in expanded position, anequalizing pneumatic communicating by a restricted passage with saidbellows, a spring of less tension normally holding said equalizingpneumatic in expanded position, and means connecting the two pneumaticswith each other.

LUMAN B. ING. lVitnesses:

GHAs. I-I. TorrING, PHILIP C. PECK.

of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing theCommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

